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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

Write a story about someone experiencing a lightbulb moment of writing inspiration.

Posted in Short Story on Oct 26, 2022

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✍️ 140 stories

“Two for Tea” by Vida Harrison

Submitted to Contest #46

“The aliens hijack the game and Michaelson gets trapped!” I clapped my hands in glee and jumped up from the couch in my excitement, startling my husband and knocking over his freshly-brewed cup of cinnamon apple spice tea. Before I could apologize, he grabbed a towel from a basket of unfolded laundry and began cleaning up the mess. I grabbed an old t-shirt from the same basket and joined him. “Aliens, huh?” he asked, dabbing the last bits of liquid from the couch cushion. “Yes. I just realized that it has to be aliens!” I explained. “O...

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“A Pirate Writer's Quest” by Valerie Deguzman

Submitted to Contest #46

The sky is clear, birds are singing loudly, and the sun is shining brightly. It's a beautiful day for everyone, except for this writer. The sun makes the room hot and stuffy, the birds are irritating, and the bright sky makes it difficult to see the computer screen. None of these components were helping me focus. All it does is stack more frustration on top of my dread. By observing the empty document, unmoving text cursor, and defeated expression, you can tell that I'm suffering from a severe case of "Writer's Block." This mindset blocks th...

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“Only A Story” by Eddie Ihlan

Submitted to Contest #46

The mountains in the springtime are less cold, but not much less wet. Snow drifts melt into sludge on the roadside, and the rain just doesn’t stop. I never quite shake the feeling of damp socks until June, but at least icy stairs don’t try to kill me every time I walk to my car. Above all, the transformation of scenery into the cool blues and greens of the rainy season takes my breath away every year. Usually my husband accompanies on my trips to the cabin, but as an accountant in peak tax season, he is currently too busy to take a mid-we...

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“Your Light In My Darkness ” by Emma Y

Submitted to Contest #46

As C.S Lewis said, "You can make anything by writing." And it's true, a simple quote that inspired millions across the globe. The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe being his most famous work of art, that's still even famous today. . . . Writing is full of words. Words are full of emotion. Emotion is full of love. When you read a story, you feel anger, sadness, and happiness. Whether it's a romance, a fantasy or a mystery you feel connected. And all it is, is words. Words are the most powerful thing on earth, and stories make that fact c...

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“Funny No More” by Cynthia Cronan

Submitted to Contest #46

REEDSY.COM  19JUN2020 Writing prompt #195 Write a story about someone having a lightbulb moment of writing inspiration. Funny No More    by clcronan 2020 I took his picture. I made sure the banana peel was in the shot. Then I sat down on the curb and waited. He’s been my best friend for the past 20 years and I knew without him to banter with I’d be lost but I guess I finally had my story. A mostly funny story, that ends badly. Somewhere in our 20s we met at the pub. We were on opposite sides in a fisticuffs tha...

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“Delia's Breakthrough” by Atlas Rynad

Submitted to Contest #46

Thud! The sound of her falling off the bed awoke Delia up from her wonderful dreamland. "Scotty, get me a glass of water!" Her head felt like it was splitting open, as her eyes fluttered open. It was a result of her partying too Wild last night. Along with the headache came the realization that she is no longer living with Sam and they broke up last week. The sleep last night was the best one she had since the breakup. Getting up from the floor she looked up in the bed at her best friend Stella and leans in to kiss her on cheeks thanking h...

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“Winnifred” by Holly Martin

Submitted to Contest #46

Winnifred By Hollis Martin Winnifred Marshall has been here before and she always hates it. Deadlines. Why must there be deadlines? Pacing back and forth in her office, a panther in a cage. Desperate for an idea. Plopping onto the chintz loveseat, kicking off her sandals and tucking her feet under her bottom, nothing. ‘Sweet Home Alabama’ plays in her headphones. She sways to the music letting it fill her mind. Soon she is up and dancing until ‘Rocket Man’ replaces it. She goes to the window. It’s a beautiful summer day and the lake is inv...

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“The Ride” by Gwen O'Connor

Submitted to Contest #46

Life works in mysterious ways. But that is not surprising in any way, shape, or form. But what always seems to need a double take is getting that one idea. The one idea that no one’s thought of -- that no one’s claimed as their own. it is a ride unlike any other, filled with doubt, fear, joy, frustration, and more jumps and surprises than a low-budget horror movie.  It is like a rollercoaster. Even before you get on, you question yourself. Is this safe? Am I doing the right thing? Only you can be the one to make that call. You’re stand...

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“Light bulb moments” by Pablo Mascaraque Glenn

Submitted to Contest #46

For most people, having a good idea is a positive experience, something that produces a feeling of pride inside oneself, potentially even bringing happiness or relief over solving some until-then-intractable problem. It keeps the neurons nudged, the synapses snappy and can lead to further good ideas, perhaps even great ones, or, in some rare cases, to a coveted brilliant idea. Genius ideas should generally be left to those who know what to do with them, as several have been lost in the past due to them being produced by someone who didn't re...

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“Finally Free” by Isabela Duque

Submitted to Contest #46

I sat on my old rugged chair, full of thoughts, they buzzed in my head like bees, never slowing down. I just needed to write something down, anything really, but inspiration was not on my side. I looked across the room, the table and chairs staring back as if they pitied me. Since my wife's death, the house had been so quiet. It broke my heart; I cried every night before going to bed. After remembering her death, a pang of sadness came over me like a dark blanket protecting me from the world, but hurting me at the same time. Suddenly, I hear...

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“Sometimes love ends before it begins ” by James Snow

Submitted to Contest #46

“Ugg” Ezra groaned at his laptop. Why couldn’t he just think of an idea, have a lightbulb moment? He deserves that didn’t he, with all of this bullshit that the world was throwing at him he deserved an Idea. After thinking about the best way to go about this he decided to risk it. He wanted pizza and the best pizza in town didn’t deliver. After shutting his laptop and putting it into his backpack, he grabbed his wallet and coat. Then he stepped out into the world. New York was something alright, it was so different from Texas but the peop...

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“Millicent and Mortimer” by Bettina Karpathian

Submitted to Contest #46

   Millicent had always wanted to write. She had never confided this to anyone but her cat Mortimer. He was an uncritical listener unless she was late feeding him because of her daydreaming, but quick to forgive once his plate was full. Millicent had received a few good grades for essays in high school English a hundred years ago and some compliments on reports she’d had to write for her job. She could picture the ridicule, or worse still, the embarrassed silence that would ensue if she told anyone she knew that she wanted to ...

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“Revisiting Romeo and Juliet” by Ted Villamarzo

Submitted to Contest #46

I have been staring for a long time on the screen. My eyes are on the screen but my mind is miles and years away. Nothing seems to click in my head.               A hand came in front of me and the fingers snapped. Not really loud but it startled me.               “Juls, stop that!”               Juls, short for Julia, is the gir...

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“A Starlit Sky” by Heather W

Submitted to Contest #46

Reese sat alone at his workbench. Everyone else had already gone home, they’d even turned the lights off when they left, leaving him alone with the simple red glow from his desk lamp. A quick glance out the window revealed a starry night sky with streetlamps dotting the far-off horizon, it really was a beautiful night for a Friday. Reese closed the blinds. Ben had invited the office out for drinks to celebrate the start of the weekend almost four hours ago now, Reese wondered what they were all doing now. Were they still out there celebratin...

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“But, Ella!” by Emma Szalkie

Submitted to Contest #46

“Ugh!” Ella screamed, throwing her pencil against the table. For a week she’d had the worst writers block and couldn’t seem to shake it. She was really excited to write a new story but when she sat down to write she had no ideas. As a last resort she came to one of her favorite writing spots, Impresso Espresso.  She was about to give up on writing when one of her best friends, Jack, came walking in. He was holding a beautiful bouquet of flowers that immediately drew Ella’s eye. As Jack approached her Ella kept her eye on the bouquet ...

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